Mask



A. R. HOUK May 13, 1941.

MASK

Original Filed Oct. 30, 1937 m N m T T A BY fix/2'50);

Patented May 13, 1941 MASK Addison R. Houk, Detroit, Mich., assignor toChrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of DelawareOriginal application October 30, 1937, Serial No.

Divided and this application November 5, 1938, Serial No. 238,996

2 Claims.

This is a division of my copending application, Serial No.- 171,830,filed October, 30, 1937, now Patent No. 2,151,427 issued March 21, 1939,and is directed particularly to the method disclosed in saidapplication.

This invention relates to the method of decorating certain portions of asurface by applying a coating thereto such as by painting. While thecoating may be applied by plating, dipping, brushing or the like, it ispreferable to apply the coating by spraying paint on certain portionsonly of the surface.

In the manufacture of articles, such as grilles for automobileradiators, it is desirable for decorative purposes to paint certainportions of the grille and to chromium plate or to leave unpainted otherportions of the grille. Masks or stencils have been used for thispurpose which have been satisfactory when applying the paint directlyover the mask on a single surface but are unsatisfactory when the paintis applied from other directions such as spraying directly against theedge of the mask when painting a side of the article which is at rightangles to the surface of the article where the paint is not to beapplied.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pressure between themaskand the surface of the article to be protected from the paint.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hollow mask so that asupply of fluid pressure may be supplied to the interior thereof and toconduct the pressure through openings in the surface of the maskadjacent the surface of the work to be protected from the paint.

A further object of the invention is to provide a depressed surface ofthe face of the mask which overlies the surface to be protected withonly the edges of the mask in engagement with the surface to beprotected so that there is a space between the two surfaces.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appearfrom the following description:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a portion of an automobile radiator grille withthe mask applied thereto, portions of the mask being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view showing in side elevation an automobile grille for useon an automobile.

Referring to the drawing, I have illustrated in Fig. 4 a portion of aradiator grille for an automobile having a body portion l0, verticalribs I2 and I4 and horizontal ribs IS, the ribs 'being detachablysecured to the body portion Ill.

Referring to Figs. 1' and 2 I have shown on a larger scale the ribs I2,I 4 and 16. The ribs are integrally joined and the ribs 12 and I6 aresubstantially channel-shaped as shown in Fig. 2 while the rib l4 may beformed solid. In the form illustrated it is desirable to paint theinside ofthe channels and the back side of the grille, leaving the uppersurface, that surface shown in Fig. 1, unpainted which may be chromiumplated. It will be noted that the upper surface of the rib l4, whichextends below the surface of the ribs I6 and I2, may be painted and isunprotected.

The improved mask is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 overlying the surface ofthe grille to be protected. This improved mask comprises a headerportion l8 which, as shown, is hollow and connected to a-supply of fluidpressure through a connection 20. Extending transversely from the headeriii are a plurality of hollow ribs 22 which terminate in a verticalconnecting member 24. If desired a central connecting member 26 may beformed to connect the ribs for accurate spacing. The under surface ofthe header l8 and ribs 22 is formed concave as shown at 28 in Figs. 2and 3, thus providing a space between the upper surface of the ribs I2and I6 and the under surface of the ribs 22 and header l8. The undersurface of the rib l6 and headers l8 are provided with a plurality ofspaced openings 30 forming a communication between the air space 28 andthe hollow ribs l6 and header [8.

In order to properly position the mask on the grille inwardly extendingflanges 32 have been provided on the ends of the vertical connectingmember tobe positioned against the ends of the vertical rib 14. A flange34 is provided on the under surface of the connecting member to bereceived against the-under surface of the rib l4. These ribs positionone end of the mask both vertically and transversely on the grille. At,the opposite side there has been provided a flange 36 at one endthereof for engagement with one end of the grille in order to provide asmall amount of contact of the flange 36 with the grille, The contactingsurface thereof may be formed pointed as illustrated by the dotted lines38. Along one edge of the header l8 there has been provided a resilientclip 40 which engages the under side of the channel rib 12 to positionthe header end of the mask on the grille. This resilient member 40 maybe detachably secured to the header by means of a screw 42.

when the mask is imposition as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a fluidpressure, preferably compressed air, is supplied to the interior of thehollow ribs, l8, and 22 through the connection 20.

, The fluid pressure then is forced through the openings 3|! into directcontact with the surface 7 of the grille which is to be protected fromthe paint. I

Referring to Fig. 3, spray guns 44 have been illustrated as beingdirected upon the exposed surfaces ofthe ribs J6 and H. The arrows A lindicate the fluid pressure escaping through the sides of the concavelower surface of the ribs 22 from the space 2 8.

T This fluid pressure, indicated by the arrows B, forces the paintspray, indicated by the arrows A, away from any opening which might bepresent adjacent the contact of the mask and the grille thus the-sprayguns 44 may be directed at any an'gle'with reference tothe mask oropening between the mask and the grille without any of the paintentering the opening. e

While the invention has been illustrated in connection with spraying, itwillv be understood that when the mask is applied the parts may bedipped in a supply of paintand the fluid pressure within the mask'willprevent the paint from flowing into any possible opening between themask and the grille.

'It willbe understood that various changes inedges to provide a spacebetween the main body of'the cover and the article, spraying the articleand cover with a coating material, and applying a fluid pressure aboveatmospheric in the space between the body of the cover and the articleto prevent the coating material from entering the space between thecover and the article.

' 2. The method of decorating only a portion of an article whichconsists in applying a mask having open and covering portions to anarticle to be decorated, applying an air stream of a pressuregreaterthan that of atmospheric pressure between the covering portions of themask and .the article, and applying a decorative material to the articlethrough the open portions of said mask whereby the air stream preventsthe decorative material from entering any space between the mask and thearticle.

ADDISON R. HOUK.

